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Hand-painted silk, cut to upholster an armchair

ca. 1760; current format 20th-Century
Not on view
The wealthy throughout Europe adored Chinese silks, which were exported in massive numbers by the Spanish, the Portuguese and the British. The large blooms and elegant tendrils of this design suggest the textile was likely intended for use as wall hangings. However, sometime after 1940, likely in the mid-1950s when the Seehof suite of furniture was on the market – it was acquired in 1956 by Lesley and Emma Sheafer of New York – this textile was cut and tailored for (impractical) use as seat upholstery.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Hand-painted silk, cut to upholster an armchair
  • Date: ca. 1760; current format 20th-Century
  • Culture: Chinese, possibly Canton, for European market
  • Medium: Silk, painted
  • Dimensions: b: 26 x 21
    c: 55 x 24
    d: 28 x 25 1/2
  • Classification: Textiles-Painted
  • Credit Line: The Lesley and Emma Sheafer Collection, Bequest of Emma A. Sheafer, 1973
  • Object Number: 1974.356.119b–d
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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